Envelope and bag fastener



March 19, 1940.

w. MABRY 2,194,400

ENVELOPE AND BAG FASTENER Filed July 14, 1938 LWMaZZf;

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 t t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.194,40c I H ENVELOPEAND BAG FASTENER "Irene W. 'Mabry, De Land, Fla. Application July .14, 1938, Serial No. 219,236 4 Claims. (01. 229-77) .This inventionrelatesto anzimproved' fastensingle strip of fibrous .material, such as paper, 'ing means for envelopes, bags and paper recepwhich is cut to form the two end members I4 and tacles of similar type. the intermediate portion I5, which is adapted to I It is an aim of thisinvention to provide an be folded along the line'lt so that an end member 5 improved fastener for envelopes and bags in par- I7 is positioned against an intermediate member 5 ticular, which may be formed ofpaper including I 8 to form the two fastening members I9. Memcorresponding fastening elements adapted to be hers I! and I8 are out along their upper edges to passed through a slot in thebag or envelopeflap form the inclined portions 2% and on their lower and to be bent outwardly to retain the flap in a edges 'arecut to vforrn'the convergi points ll) closed position. The sides of the points .2I of the members HA More particularly, it is an object of this invenwhich connect withthe end members I4 are'elontion to provide fastening elements having. means gated to extend above the corresponding side .of whereby they will retain the flap in a closed posithe other points as indicated at :22 for a purpose tion even when disposed inaposition .to 'disenwhich W ll hereinafter be described.

5 gagesaid flap to prevent the container from being Portions I1 and I8 when assembledform the accidentally open d, members I9, and may be adhesively secured to- Other objects and advantages of the invention getherand will normally assume the position as will hereinafter become more fully apparent, Seen n Figure When thus 11051151011661, the end from the following description of the drawing, members I4 will be disposed relatively close to I which illustrates a'preferred form of the inveneach other to form a base, and are: adapted tobe 20 tion, and wherein: I I secured to the outer side of the back of the Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the back of envelope I0 by means f n adhesive. a conventional envelope, shown in an open posi- A reinforcing member 23, as best seen in Figure tion, and having a fastener constructed in ac- 6, is provided with a slot 24 and is adapted to be 25 cordance with this invention attached thereto, secured to the inner side of the flap II with the 25 Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view slot 24 in alignment with the slot I2 to reinforce showing the flap of the envelope in a closed posislot I2. tion and in engagement with the fastener. The flap I I which normally folds along the line Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on 25, is folded over toward the fastenin member 7 the line 3-3 of Figure 2, I9 and pulled downwardly, to temporarily fold 30 V Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view'taken or bend below the line 25 so that the lower end through the center of the envelope showing the 0f the slots I2 and 24 may pass the end 2I as the fastener in elevation, immediately after it has members I9 pass through said slots, after which been inserted through the slot on the envelope. flap I I is released to return to its normal foldin Figure 5 is a detailed elevational view showing line 25 thereby raising the flap I I to the position 35 the blank cut and prepared to be bent to form the as seen in Figure 4 so that the points 2| will fastener, and j prevent the. flap from being opened until. it is Figure 6 shows the reinforcing member atagain pulled downwardly. The inner sides of the tached to the flap of the envelope and slotted to points II of the faste ing e ers l9 being 0 reinforce the envelopeslot. longer, as indicated at 22 permits flap II to raise 40 Referring more particularly to the drawing, to its normal position,as indicated by the line 25, wherein like reference characters designate like or even beyond this position, should envelope III or corresponding parts throughout the different be filled to capacity, without exerting pressure on views, In designates generally an envelope pro: the lower ends of slots I2 and 24 which might vided with-a flap lI having a slot I2 formed cause them to tear. The inclined upper edge 20is 45 therein, transversely of the flap and intermediate provided to accommodate the upper edges of the of its ends. The envelope, as illustrated, is of slots I2 and 24 when flap II is pulled downwardly conventional form except for the slot I2 and is to pass the points 2|. After flap II has reached shown merely to illustrate the application of the the position as seen in Figure 4, the fastening 1 5o fastener designated generally I3, and it is to be members I9 are folded outwardly 0n the Center understood that the invention is not intended to fold line I6 to lie flush against the outer side of be limited in its use to an envelope, as it is equally the flap I Las seen in Figure 3, and the envelope well adapted for use with bags and other forms of I 0 is then ready for transmittal. When it is flat receptacles or containers. necessary to open the envelope, members I9 are The fastener I3 is preferably formed from a returned to the position as seen in Figure 4, and 5;

the flap I I is pulled downwardly and outwardly so that the slots I2 and 24 at their lower end may be passed beneath the points 2! to disengage the flap and permit the envelope III to be opened.

Fastener I3 is obviously equally well adapted for use with bags and other similar forms of con tainers or receptacles, and may likewise be used with receptacles not provided with a flap by inverting the fastener I3 and securing it to the inner side of one of the side walls and slotting the other side wall after which the container can be closed by lifting up on the slotted wall to pass the upper slotted end over the points 2| and said wall moving downardly when released thereby preventing the slotted wall from becoming disengaged from the members l9 until it is again raised relatively thereto.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts forming the invention may obviously be made and are contemplated, and the right is reserved to make such variations and changes as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

' I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the class described comprising a flat container provided with a closing flap having a transverse slot formed therein intermediate of its ends, a fastening member, comprising a pair of fiat complemental sections in substantial contact arranged in vertical planes perpendicular to the container, said sections having downwardly sloping upper edges and tapered converging lower edges, said flap being adapted to be pulled downwardly to permit said sections to be passed through the slot, said flap in its normal position being held by said fastening member by engagement of the portion beneath said slot with the lower converging ends of said sections.

2. In a device of the class described, a blank having end portions forming a base, the intermediate portion of said blank being cut to form two notches along its upper edge and four points along the lower edge, said intermediate portion being foldable between said points to form a pair of corresponding flaps, pointed at their lower ends and bevelled on their upper ends. I

3. A device as in claim 2, said base being adapted, to be secured to the back of a paper container provided with a closing flap having a slot,

and the flaps of said blank being passed through said slot and adapted to engage the lower portion of the container flap to secure it to the back of the container.

4. In combination with a container having a closing flap provided with a slot, fastening means for said flap comprising a blank having end por tions forming a base, the intermediate portion of said blank being folded to provide corresponding retaining elements projecting outwardly from said base portions said retaining elements having outwardly and downwardly inclined top and bottom edges, said base portions being adapted to be secured to the back of the container with their adjacent fidges in substantially abutting relationship, and said retaining elements being adapted 0 to be passed through saidslot, the lower end of said slot normally engaging the inclined bottom edges of said retaining elements to hold the flap in a closed position.

IRENEW. MABRY. i 

